How Opel France is trying to save the Astra in great difficulty

The battle continues in Opel France to relaunch the Astra. For the German brand, there was a risk for its flagship sedan that completely missed its launch on the French market.

A big disappointment for Opel which wanted to capitalize on the success of the Peugeot 308 with which the new Astra shares an engine and platform. It was a matter of accelerating the repositioning strategy of the brand acquired by PSA in 2017 (which has become Stellantis) with a completely renovated and well-finished range. Astra was supposed to be the culmination of this strategy… But circumstances led to different results.

Semiconductor deficiency

The first obstacle… The sixth name Astra is presented in 2021 for sale in early 2022 in France, that is, in the middle of the semiconductor crisis. Opel’s sedan, which has focused heavily on in-house technologies, is being punished more than others… Astra production has stalled, as has the DS4 which is produced on the same assembly line in Russellsheim, ‘Opel’s stronghold, Germany.

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Especially since the line was not completely available as Opel had not yet completely finished production of the Insignia, a large sedan from the electric brand. In addition, Opel’s head office had decided to favor the German market… As a result, Opel France counts the products delivered in small quantities despite having a full order book… And ended up refusing to receive the order.

In 2022, the year of the launch, Opel will have produced only 1,092 Astras in France… That is, almost 90 cars per month, five times less than the forecast. We will have to wait until 2023 to be completely free of supply and equipment problems. Except that the launch effect firing window is closed.

It is not visible on the street

And the commercial agenda forces Opel France to focus on the arrival of the facelifted Mokka with new hybrid technology, then the facelifted Corsa. Astra, compact once crowned with the title of car of the year, still invisible on the street. Marketers then mourn in the face of real commercial “failures”. Dear Opel France, we recognize the “difficult beginning”. “It is undeniable that he does not have the job he should have“, he even explained himself Vincent Rolinetdirector of Opel France in an interview with Automotive Magazine.

In 2023, the first full year, Opel will be able to triple its sales but only reach 3,600 registrations, or a share of 1.5%. A sign that performance is below its potential, the same Astra takes 5.5% of the segment share in Germany, with 25,000 registrations.

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Opel France, we are using the Sport Tourer version (station wagon) and the 100% electric version to increase sales. The station wagon is presented in the summer with sales planned for 2024. This is an opportunity to launch a new media campaign: sponsors of regular TV shows, the creation of a BtoB test station, etc.

The effect is almost immediate, and Astra regains color. In the first quarter of 2024, sales increase by 92%, according to the manufacturer’s data. At Opel, we still believe in accelerating the first delivery of the station wagon versions, but also in the arrival of the MHEV version planned for spring. Hurry, because the window of opportunity will close soon with the sale of the Opel Frontera.